Alaska’s Colville River is internationally recognized for its extraordinary raptor populations. The river drains much of the North Slope of Alaska as it winds more than 400 miles to the Arctic Ocean. Its steep cliffs host among the highest densities of nesting birds of prey in the entire Arctic: Peregrine Falcons, Gyrfalcons, Golden Eagles, and Rough-legged Hawks all raise their young here. The area is also home to caribou, moose, wolves, grizzly bears, and fish and provides subsistence resources for Alaska Native communities.
Much of the area along the river is designated as the Colville River Special Area, one of five unique wilderness regions in northern Alaska recognized by the Bureau of Land Management as having exceptional wildlife and subsistence values that deserve maximum protection in the face of development. These five areas have been set aside since the 1970s because of their global importance to migratory birds, Arctic wildlife, and people. Read more about Alaska’s Special Areas and the wildlife that depend on them.
But in 2025, Special Areas are under imminent threat of losing their protections from proposals that aim “to allow the maximum possible extraction of gas and oil to meet the Nation’s total energy need,” according to the Federal Register.
America’s Arctic: Ours to Protect
You can make your voice heard on this issue. These public lands are ours to protect. Read the proposal in the Federal Register that aims to rescind protections of these unique lands, and then provide a public comment stating your views by August 4, 2025.
